Overnighter
by Eowyn77
Summary: Sequel to Fair Game. Bella confronts a secret from Edward's past when he goes on an overnight hunting trip with his family. Slightly AU
1. Farewells

I snuggled closer, pillowing my head on Edward's arm — if an ice-block counts as a pillow. But I didn't mind. Edward was here. I'd gladly freeze to death.

I smiled in the darkness. Of course, Edward wouldn't let anything so... Shakespearean as that happen. No heroine dying in her lover's arms for this story! Turning my head, I kissed his marble cheek. For one thing, as much as I loved him, he wasn't my lover. All I'd have to do is say "Take me to Vegas" and that'd change in three days' time, but I pointedly ignored that fact. It didn't do me any good in the here and now.

"You seem to be... better." The corners of his lips tugged up.

"Yeah, well," I grumbled playfully, "don't let that make you complacent."

He sighed deeply, and a ghost of the hole rippled through my chest. _He's leaving. He's only stayed this long because I was such a wreck. Now that I'm better, he'll go again..._

I angrily pushed those thoughts away. _He's here, and he loves me. Remember the epiphany!_

"Relax, Bella." His cool breath tickled my ear. "I'll tell Carlisle no."

Carlisle? "What does Carlisle want?"

"The impossible," Edward whispered. He sighed again. "He wants me to go with the family on an overnighter hunting trip. But I'll tell him no."

"Why?"

"Because I know you." His lips brushed against my hair. "Danger magnet."

That wasn't the real reason, and we both knew it. Despite the epiphany, I still fell to pieces from time to time when we were apart. But he'd answered the wrong question. "Why does Carlisle want you to go in the first place?"

He pulled me closer. "Our behavior over this last year or so has been rather conspicuous, even for us. It's going to be a sunny weekend, and it's well-known that the Cullens go camping whenever the weather is nice. In the interest of appearing _normal_, the entire family is going — except me. I'm not leaving you alone."

"Won't that be conspicuous again?"

"Not really. It's not like I plan on going sun-bathing. Besides, I'm really past caring about things like that anymore."

"But... everyone else in the family is going." They had missed Edward too when I was a zombie, and since then, Edward had spent more time in my room than he had in his own house. Maybe that's why Carlisle wanted this trip, so they could spend some bonding time together as a family. _Their_ family ties were stronger than blood.

"Are you saying you _want_ me to leave?" There was just a hint of hurt in his eyes.

"No, of course not. But your family needs you too, Edward. I'll be okay for one night."

I heard the skepticism in his silence.

"How many months did I survive on my own?"

"That was sheer dumb luck, Bella."

His tone annoyed me. "Well, if you're that worried, I'll talk Charlie into letting Angela sleep over. I've been so out of touch with her for so long it'd be a good excuse to catch up. After all, I need to be maintaining the appearance of normal too." I grimaced. "I probably should invite Jess too. After our last girls' night out, I owe her." That night was probably why she was ignoring me now.

"Girls' night out?" He sounded as wary as when I told him about hearing "voices" during his absence.

"Yeah," I said slowly. "In an attempt to placate Charlie, I invited Jess to go to Port Angeles with me. We went to a movie and saw zombies eat everybody's brains. Oh, and I made her listen to rap the whole way there."

Edward rose up on one elbow and stared at me in naked disbelief. "_You_ went to a horror movie and listened to rap?" He blinked twice, then slowly shook his head. "I don't think I'll ever fully appreciate just how badly I..." He winced as though swallowing something that burned him.

"Hurt me?" I said softly.

He nodded.

When he first came back two weeks ago, he'd been so afraid of losing me and so adamant about me staying human that we'd never really taken the time to "make up." Not that we needed to, exactly, but we just hadn't talked much about what had passed in those desolate months apart. It was something we were both happy to put behind us.

But I could see how much guilt still festered in him. "And I don't think I'll ever fully appreciate just how much pain _you_ went through — how much pain you're still in." I shifted in his arms, moving his head to my chest. I knew how my heartbeat affected him. "Hear that?"

He inhaled deeply, breathing in my scent. "Yes."

"It's still beating — for you."

He held me more closely. "Which is why it is impossible for me to leave you again."

"But Carlisle wouldn't ask you to do this if it weren't important."

Now he was the one annoyed. "Carlisle's reasons are irrelevant if it means Victoria gets you."

I shuddered. That was hitting below the belt. _I_ didn't want to be left undefended either. But the more he resisted, the more I felt it was important for him to spend some time with his family. He must have used all the same arguments with Carlisle, and Carlisle still wanted him to go. He'd probably never go for it, but... "Jacob may not be talking to me, but if I told Billy you guys were leaving — "

"No," Edward snarled. "I am _not_ placing you in the hands of werewolves!"

Stupid rivalries. "Well there must be _someone_ you could ask to keep an eye on me. If not the Quiluetes, then someone else — another vampire, someone not in your family?" I searched my memory for any other animal-hunting vampires he may have mentioned.

"Bella, that's even more insane than..."

"The Denali family!"

His head jerked up, his eyes wide in panic. "Absolutely not!"

His alarm piqued my interest. "Why not? They're vegetarians too, aren't they?"

"Yes, but..." If anything he seemed more desperate.

"But what?"

His jaw clenched. "They're a thousand years old. They've... been around the block a time or two."

Aro's paper-thin skin came to mind. "Are they too old to fight? Because there's, what, five of them? Even being that old, five of them together should be able to hold Victoria at bay for a day or so, especially since she ran away at just the scent of Alice." I was trying to convince myself more than him, but my suddenly-burning curiosity was keeping the panic at bay. Why _hadn't_ I met the Denali family yet?

"Well... Carmen and Eleazar are only five hundred years old. Maybe they could do the job." He was suddenly firm. "But I don't want them in here. They'll patrol outside."

I was a bit disappointed, but I'd figure a way around that stipulation later. "Fine." I half-wondered if all this mystery surrounding Tanya's family was Edward's way of providing a distraction for me.

He placed his ear over my heart again, and my irritation melted. I'd so missed the cool weight of his touch. When he spoke again, he sounded almost petulant. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me."

I stroked his hair for a moment. "Yeah, because you're _so_ replaceable. All I have to do is put my blanket in the freezer until bedtime and pop your piano CD in the player. I'd never know you were gone."

I could hear his mock indignation. "Is that all I am to you? A cold quilt and a musician?"

"I thought _I_ was the musician."

The tip of Edward's nose trailed along my jawline. "La _mia_ cantante," he whispered possessively. He paused to kiss my neck, sending chills between my shoulder blades, then sighed in resignation. "I'd rather you come with us than leave you under anyone else's protection, but..."

"I know," I answered softly. Even if Charlie hadn't grounded me, there was the whole safety issue. "Don't worry. We'll have plenty of opportunities to hunt together later."

His breath whooshed out in disgust. "You're actually looking forward to that."

"I look forward to being with you every minute, day and night, forever. I'm not going to get that while human, whether you go on this trip or not. So go. I'll be alive when you get back."

"Promise?" His voice was sarcastic.

I grinned. "I promise. I have so much to live for."

Edward and I spent Friday afternoon cuddling on the couch. We didn't really talk much, just memorized the scent and feel and closeness of each other for use against the time we'd be apart. As soon as Charlie's patrol car pulled into the driveway, Edward started packing up.

His cold, marble lips brushed lightly against mine, so gently I ached with longing. Then he stole a quick peck of a kiss just as Charlie opened the front door. "You have my cell phone number, right?"

I was still a bit breathless. "Yes." I probably recited it in my sleep.

Concern mingled with affection in his gaze. "Call if you need anything. If I don't answer, just leave a message and don't worry. We'll have spotty coverage, but I'll call you back as soon as I have reception."

"You going somewhere?" Charlie demanded gruffly. He didn't do a good job of hiding his alarm.

With a solemn expression, Edward turned to meet my father's eyes. "It's supposed to be nice this weekend, so Carlisle decided we should go on an overnighter." For Charlie's benefit, he added, "LA doesn't have much in the way of good camping."

"When are you going to be back?" He sounded like Edward was his own wayward son. I was surprised that Charlie would actually speak to Edward directly. This was the longest conversation they'd had since Edward came back.

"Sometime on Saturday, probably late. Like I said, we haven't had a family outing like this in a long time."

Charlie seemed to process this, and a smile twitched on Edward's lips. Stupid mind-reading abilities.

"Have a good time," Charlie said at length, in a grudging concession to civility.

Edward leaned in to kiss my brow and whispered, "Tomorrow night." Then he slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked out my front door.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to look away. _He'll be back soon, in just one day. I can do this. I did it for months, and that was when I thought he was never coming back. I can survive._

Charlie shut the door and then studied my face. "Bella? Are you okay with this?" He was probably worried about me going all zombie on him again.

Summoning all the composure I could, I smiled at him. "Yes, I'm fine. He offered to not go, but he does need to spend time with his family. I can share."

Charlie put a supportive arm around my shoulder. "That's my girl."


	2. The Family

I put off going to bed as long as possible, staying up late to watch _Hoosiers_ with Charlie. It was well after eleven o'clock when I finally went upstairs. I turned the shower as hot as I could stand it and lingered until the water started to cool. As I toweled off, I couldn't stop fear from settling into the pit of my stomach. I was safe from Victoria — probably — but that wasn't what had me terrified. This was the first night since Edward's return that I would spend completely and totally alone. Even though I knew he'd be back tomorrow night, it was hard to keep breathing.

Soon I was dressed and ready for bed. This was the moment I dreaded most — facing that empty room. Sighing heavily, I opened the door. I switched on the lights and yelped, dropping my things in surprise. There was a crowd of people in my bedroom!

"Bella?" Charlie called from the living room, his voice laced with worry.

I shut the door and turned toward the stairs, my heart thundering. "Yeah, Dad?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah. Just a spider. It scared me, but I got him." I hoped he attributed the waver in my voice to my surprise. That _had_ to be Tanya's family. I didn't want to consider the alternative.

"Okay. Sweet dreams, honey."

If Tanya's family was in my room, I just might. If not, well... I wouldn't have long to worry anyway. "Good night, Dad."

Still shaky, I pushed open the door again. My room was full of vampires. This group looked far more like a family than the Cullens did. All of them had dark hair, and three of the females I'd swear were related in their mortal lives. A male and female were laying together in a casual cuddle on my bed — Carmen and Eleazar, I assumed. Their hair was a shade lighter than the other three, and their complexions reminded me a bit of Felix, slightly tan over the marble white.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor beside them was a young-looking female with rounded cheekbones and one of my books open in front of her. Her black hair was pulled up into a shoulder-length braid, accentuating her impossibly-perfect youthful look. Another female stood leaning against my computer desk. She was a perfect foil for Rosalie, dark where Rosalie was golden and just as breathtakingly beautiful.

The fifth vampire sat regally in my rocking chair. The Volturi may be the ruling class of their kind, but here was the queen of the vampires. From her perfectly-arched eyebrows to her sharp, proud-looking cheekbones, hers was a haunting beauty. She rose slowly to her feet, her smooth inky-black tresses falling past her waist, and I noticed her curvaceous figure with a twinge of envy. "Hello, Isabella Swan." Her voice was soft, her eyes solemn. "I am Tanya."

I felt a vague urge to curtsy, or salute, or... something.

"I thought you knew we'd be here." A smile twitched on her lips. "I apologize for frightening you."

I knew she could smell the adrenaline, so I didn't bother trying to pretend otherwise. "I didn't expect you to ignore Edward's instructions — but I'm glad you did!"

"We couldn't resist," said the youngish one, relief plain on her face. "We simply _had_ to meet the little girl who brought down mighty Edward Cullen."

"It was really quite a shock to learn he'd fallen in love at all," Tanya grinned as she sat down again. How could she make my quaint old rocking chair look like a throne? "Only Eleazar was prepared for that."

"Why him, er, you?" I looked in his direction.

He winked. "I'm perceptive about people. Call it a gift."

I was instantly wary. "So you're talented like Edward and Alice?"

"More like Edward than Alice or Jasper, apparently." Eleazar wagged his head at me with a laugh. "My one chance to outshine Edward and you thwart my talent too!" 

Relief washed over me. I may be surrounded by strong, fast, indestructible vampires, but I still had a trick of my own. "What is your talent, exactly?"

"I was a merchant in my past life, and an exceptionally good one, if I do say so myself. You know how everyone has... what do you call it? Levers? Buttons? Things you can do to make them react?"

I nodded.

"I see those." He puffed out his chest a bit as though boasting. "Just by looking him in the eye, I can tell you a man's price and what currency to use."

"So... you don't know my price?"

He sat up, cradling Carmen's head in his lap, then gave me a playful smile. "No, but I know Edward's, so I can cheat a bit."

That sounded more ominous.

"For instance, I know you're a perfect fit for him, although you're not at all what I was expecting." He winked again, and I decided I liked him, even if he didn't think I was much to look at. After all, compared to Carmen, I wasn't.

"He sees the levers that will drive a woman crazy with passion." Carmen's smile told me more than I ever wanted to know.

"Or with fury," added the dark beauty with annoyance. She gave me a toothy grin. "But that's a story for another day. I'm Irina."

"Nice to meet you," I answered. Tanya was intimidating, but something about Irina made me down-right nervous. "Are you talented, too?"

"Not the way you're thinking, although I _am_ renowned for my hunting prowess," she answered, sending a chill down my neck. Hunting prowess — but she had golden eyes, I reminded myself. She took me in with a shrewd look, then grinned suddenly. "You're not unnerved, are you Bella?"

Should I be? "No."

Irina chuckled as though she knew better, then added, "Kate's the only other one of us with extraordinary gifts."

"Kate?" I turned to the youthful one, feeling a bit dizzied by the swift introductions.

She smiled brightly. "That's me." Her smile was as disarming as Eleazar's. "I've been positively _aching_ to meet you. Edward insisted that only Carmen and Eleazar visit, but he can be so silly sometimes. I'd be far more useful against Victoria than Carmen and Eleazar put together."

Somehow, she didn't strike me as the best warrior of the group. "You're a fighter?"

She laughed. "Hardly. We're all very peaceful. None of us would have the first idea of what to do in a fight. But my talent is uniquely useful for defense — against a single foe, anyway. I can immobilize someone on sight."

What a gift!

She continued cheerfully, "If Victoria got that close..."

I shuddered at the thought.

"... I could hold her until Edward came to do the dirty work."

My shudder didn't escape Irina's notice. "What do you think?" she asked Kate. "Will a demonstration convince her?"

Carmen shot her a dirty look. "Why don't we ask the girl herself?" Then to me, "Bella, would you be more at ease if you knew firsthand how Kate's talent works?"

I looked uneasily from her to Kate. "No — thank you. I trust you."

"It probably wouldn't work on her anyway, Kate," Eleazar pointed out.

"She's not immune to everyone's talents," Kate retorted. "Poor Alice would have had a heart attack if she could when she saw Bella jump off that cliff."

Once again, I was stung by the memory of my reckless stupidity.

Carmen saw my blood-red blush and, blinking, looked away.

Crap!

Tanya noticed the blush too, but misunderstood it. "There's no need to fret, Bella. Both Kate and Eleazar refused to use their talents with dear Edward." She smiled wistfully. "I suppose it was just as well. Any of us with Edward would have been far less interesting than the two of you."

_ANY of them?_ I stared at Tanya as the words sank in, then Kate was suddenly at my side, her hand on my elbow. "Sit down before you faint, sweetheart."

She eased me down to sit with my back against the door. Three of the most gorgeous creatures in existence all wanted _my_ Edward — and they were sitting here in my bedroom.

Tanya's laugh sparkled like a vampire in sunlight. "Hasn't anyone told you what it is we _do_?"

I stared at her numbly. I'd never felt more inferior in my life. "No."

"Shush!" Eleazar hissed. My breathing was loud in the silent room.

I couldn't hear the TV. "Charlie's coming to check on me."

Tanya nodded curtly and they all disappeared out the window. Turning off the light, I dove into bed, barely settling in before I heard the soft swish of the door opening. Charlie waited for a moment, then pulled the door closed with a quiet click.


	3. Guardian Angel

**Author's Note: ** The song I use in this chapter is a traditional Welsh lullaby titled "All Through the Night." There are many variations of it, but these verses seemed particularly appropriate.

_What it is we do._ What did Tanya mean? I was sure they were vegetarians, and strict ones at that, otherwise Edward would have never agreed to let them babysit me. What could a vampire do that was more unusual than _that_?

I expected one of them to return, but the minutes dragged on, and I slowly gave up hope. Maybe they had decided to just patrol outside after all. Edward was already going to be ticked off; it made sense that they wouldn't want to provoke him further.

Charlie began snoring, and I began the hopeless task of trying to fall asleep. A sudden puff of cool air told me I wasn't alone. Tanya was sitting in the rocking chair again. The others must still be outside.

"All's well," she whispered.

I let out a breath I hadn't meant to hold.

"I do apologize for earlier." She settled comfortably into the chair, her eyes and mouth black against her white face in the dark. "I never imagined that you didn't know about... but there I go getting ahead of myself again. I'll be quiet now and let you do the talking."

"Okay..." I didn't want her to be quiet. I wanted her to explain what had happened between her family and Edward. Maybe there was a reason he didn't want me to meet them. Maybe he'd _been_ with one of them. Did he _lie_ to me about being... about never having... a woman? A soft gasp escaped my lips.

"Bella," Tanya cooed. "Lovely little Bella." She came to sit cross-legged on my bed, stroking my arm as though I were a frightened child. Her chill hand only reminded me that she could be with him in a way I couldn't. "Do not weep, Bella. Tell me your fears, and I shall lay them all to rest."

The moon came out from behind a cloud then, its light pouring into my room.

I managed to pull myself together enough to ask, "What _is_ it you do?"

She gave me an appraising look. "Has Edward explained that an animal's blood does not fully quench the thirst?"

The question surprised me, especially since her teeth were inches from my throat. "Yes."

She spoke quietly, as though choosing her words carefully. "Irina, Kate, and I have learned to find satisfaction by appeasing hunger as well as thirst."

But vampires didn't eat. I lifted my head and met her gaze. "Hunger?"

She gave me a knowing grin. "Surely you are not so innocent as that."

"Oh." _No!_

"But not with Edward," she told me quickly. "With mortal churchmen and red-eyed hunters, with old and young and wealthy and wise, but not with virtuous Edward Cullen. He's the only vampire we've set our minds to who hasn't yielded in the end." She brushed a tear from my cheek with her cold fingertip. "And now that you hold his heart, he never will. That's part of why we came, even though only Carmen and Eleazar were invited." Her golden eyes sparkled with amusement in the moonlight. "We couldn't resist the chance to look upon you, the mere mortal who bested us all."

I searched her eyes. "You're not angry, then?"

Her sparkling laugh made me blush in embarrassment. "Hardly. Surprised speechless, when Mrs. Cullen first told me the news, but not angry. He'd refused us long before he ever moved to Forks." A knowing smile spread over her face. "But you must clear up a little mystery for us. I understand he spends virtually every night with you?" 

Oh good grief! "It's not like that. I mean, you know Edward." I winced. Probably better than I did. "He likes watching me sleep."

"Watching you sleep?" There was skepticism in her voice.

"Yes," I gave her a disgusted look. "Watching me sleep."

Tanya's smile was sly as she pointed toward the rocker. "Watching from there?"

She knew. She was probably the most experienced woman alive — of course she knew! "No, not from the there." I sighed, loneliness plucking at the healed hole in my chest. But it didn't last. Edward would be back tomorrow night. "He holds me while I sleep."

"That's quite a breach of propriety for Edward." She raised a disapproving eyebrow, but there was laughter in her eyes.

Her expression made _me_ laugh, and I was suddenly heady at the thought of dishing about Edward. There may be no secrets among the Cullens, but I couldn't exactly gush to Alice about my romance with her brother. "Hardly. My dad would freak if he knew, of course, but Edward's never done anything in private that he hasn't done in front of his family or mine."

"How did it happen for you two? He fled to our arms after that first day." She rolled her eyes when my heart jumped. "For pity's sake, Bella, it was just a figure of speech. The next thing I hear, he's in _love_ with you. How did he ever work up the will to touch you, so sweetly enticing, without taking you?

Why did Tanya, queen of the vampires, care? In a thousand years, I was sure she'd heard every story imaginable. "Oh, I don't want to bore you with my school-girl romance."

"Lovely little Bella," she said, an eager hunger in her eyes. "My marriage was arranged when I was mortal, and at the time, I was too young and inexperienced to take pleasure from the union. My heart has never raced at my lover's touch, I've never felt the heat of passion. The human side of love is never boring, let me assure you."

An arranged marriage a thousand years ago, when women were still chattel. Maybe she _did_ care. "Okay," I said uncertainly. "But let me know if I start to bore you. Because I could go on for _days_ about Edward."

She laughed lightly. "Duly noted. Now, do go on. We were talking about Edward's first touch."

I smiled, remembering with pleasure those early days. I was even more attached to him now than I was then, but all those unusual things about him — golden eyes, icy touch, sweet scent — were still so thrilling in their newness. "It took him a full week after he started speaking to me again. He walked me from Biology to Gym, and just before he left for his own class, he touched my cheek."

"How?" Tanya asked eagerly. "Like this?" She cupped her cheek with her hand.

"No." I trailed my fingertips across my cheekbone. "Like that." The memory of his searing-cold touch that day warmed my whole body. 

Admiration danced in her eyes. "And then what?"

"Then he went to his next class."

She laughed lightly. "I mean, when did he next touch you?"

"The next day, same time, same place," I answered with a smile. Every instinct had told him to kill me, and he was still undecided back then. I hadn't taken the time to reflect on his strength until now. Edward was amazing beyond words.

Tanya gave me a prying look. "Same touch?"

I shook my head no, her kiss-and-tell attitude contagious. "Like this," I answered, brushing the back of my hand against my cheek. Anticipating her next question, I added, "And the third day he touched me like that again, only at lunch this time, because he was leaving school early to go hunting with Alice."

All of a sudden, I realized I wasn't missing Edward. Here I was thinking about him, talking about him, and it didn't hurt. A month ago, I would have thought such a thing beyond impossible. I also realized I was feeling and acting like a teenager, and it almost made me laugh aloud. It took a thousand-year-old vampire to make me feel young.

"So what happened on the fourth day?"

"That was the day he brought me to the meadow."

Tanya's voice dropped to a conspiring whisper. "The day you spent alone with him?"

The memories danced in my mind: Edward stepping into the light, my fear and fascination when he let slip the predator in him, our first kiss, Edward humming me to sleep. "It was wondrous." My voice was a whisper as well. "My life changed forever that day."

"He touched you again?" She was practically on the edge of her seat.

"He kissed me." I said grinning.

Tanya hissed, making the hair on the back of my neck stand on end, but she shook her head in disbelief. "He kissed you? There, alone with your irresistible scent, he was fool enough to kiss you?"

"_He_ had enough self-control." I could feel my cheeks burning in embarrassment.

She caught the inflection and laughed. "You didn't?"

"I think I was almost as attracted to him as he was to my blood." With dismay, I remembered his wildly thirsty eyes and clenched jaw. I really was lucky to still be alive after a stunt like that. "I just couldn't help myself."

"What on earth did you do?"

"I clutched him to me and kissed him back... with," I cleared my throat, "gusto. Even then he was okay until my lips parted."

Tanya's perfect eyebrows lifted in utter disbelief. "Lovely little Bella, didn't you understand? You could have died, and Edward... I can only imagine what would have happened to Edward if he had killed you."

"I don't have to imagine." In my mind, I saw him on the edge of the plaza again, beautiful beyond imagining, about to be torn apart before my eyes. Why did Tanya have to remind me of that?

A long, aching moment passed, then she asked quietly, "So what else happened on that wondrous day?"

Yes, much better. Get me thinking about the meadow. "We sat in the sunlight and I held his hand for hours." Even to myself I sounded lovesick.

"You love him." The words were truth, pure and unadorned.

"I do."

There was an unfathomable sadness in her eyes.

"What is it, Tanya?"

A smile tugged at the corner of her frosted lips. "Damned if I do, damned if I don't. I can see part of why Edward dotes on you so, lovely little Bella. With your sweet, honest innocence, you leave a path of devastation behind you."

Somehow, that didn't feel like the compliment she apparently meant it to be.

Seeing my confusion, she explained, "It was centuries before I learned to bridle my thirst, and centuries more to perfect that control. I comforted a man about to die in the most pleasurable way I could, and when I was still weak, I hoped that he didn't hate me too much for what I'd done."

I couldn't forgive her for those murdered men — no one could. But she cared, and that counted for something. "You didn't just take, Tanya. You gave, too. There aren't many vampires who can claim that."

"Perhaps." She looked down, twisting a pinky-ring. Meeting my gaze again, she said, "But I've lain in the arms of many a mortal man. I know how exquisite a human lover is — his warmth, his soft skin and touch, his intoxicating scent. Even when I didn't kill him, I took as much as I gave. Listening to you... perhaps I took much more than I ever realized. How many of them now pine for me they way you did for Edward?"

I laid my hand on hers. "That's me and Edward, though. How many of the men you've..."

She understood my awkward silence. "...hunted," she quietly finished my sentence.

"How many knew you long enough to actually fall in love?"

"How long did it take you?" she countered, pain still in her eyes.

"That's different." I tried to keep my tone light. "Me and Edward, we're unique."

She laughed wryly at that. "More than you can know, Bella my lovely. You with your reckless courage, and Edward with his restraint." She shook her head almost sadly. "Only Edward could do it, I suppose. Only him. You entice his thirst and his hunger alike, and are placed in mortal danger by both. And here Edward could hold you in a loving embrace within less than half a year."

The implications for me and Edward suddenly dawned on me. "You've had... mortal lovers?"

Tanya grinned widely, showing more teeth than she probably meant to. "More than you can count, my sweet."

"Edward seems to think that it's impossible for him and me to..." Even to Tanya, I couldn't say it.

I was surprised when she didn't laugh. Her fierce eyes were suddenly black — and burning somehow. "He is correct." With some effort, she managed a smile for me. "In such a union, a human woman could find no pleasure. Do not let your heart and mind wander to such dangerous places, Bella. We are all too fond of you and Edward to see it end that way."

I stared at her numbly until, to my chagrin, I suddenly yawned. With a light laugh, she reached over and brushed a strand of hair from my face, the sudden tension gone. "Sleep, lovely little Bella. I'll keep you safe until your strong, noble Edward returns." She returned to the rocking chair and began singing, her seraphic voice low and lilting.

"Sleep, my child, and peace attend thee,  
All through the night,  
Loving arms shall e're defend thee,  
All through the night,  
Soft the silent hours are creeping,  
Hill and dale in slumber sleeping,  
I my loved ones' watch am keeping,  
All through the night."

I could feel my mind beginning to drift.

"Angels watching ever round thee  
All through the night,  
In thy slumbers close surround thee,  
All through the night,  
They should of all fears disarm thee,  
No forebodings should alarm thee,  
They will let no peril harm thee,  
All through the night.

"While the moon her watch is keeping,  
All through the night,  
While the weary world is sleeping,  
All through the night,  
O're thy spirit gently stealing,  
Visions of delight revealing,  
Breathes a pure and holy feeling,  
All through the night."


	4. Good Old Times

I awoke alone, the sun casting an unnatural yellow tint over my room. It was bright and warm and depressing. I sifted through my memory, trying to separate dream from reality. Edward was real, I was sure of that. Darkness would bring him back to me. Tanya... I remembered meeting the queen of the vampires and her family. Had she really sung me to sleep?

I sat up and threw open the window, breathing in the moist, warm air. Kate moved in the shadows under the trees, catching my eye, and I waved to her. She cheerfully returned my wave, then faded back into the forest. It wasn't a dream then. My guardian angels were still watching over me. Smiling, I closed the window again and made my way down the stairs.

The milk had gone sour, so cereal was out of the question. I decided to fry up an egg. As the skillet heated, I realized I should probably invite Tanya's family inside. Charlie would have left two or three hours ago to go fishing; he wouldn't be back until noon at the earliest, so there was no reason for them to be stuck in the forest. On the other hand, what would I do with them inside all day? What do thousand-year-old vampires do for fun? Besides seducing every male they can get their hands on, that is. Hanging out with the Cullens was easier. They were _good_ at pretending to be teenagers.

I dropped the spatula in surprise when Charlie called down the stairs to me. "Smells good, Bella! Do you mind starting one for me?"

"Uh... sure, Dad." What was he doing home still? I checked out the window, and sure enough, his cruiser was still in the driveway. Weird.

He came down a couple of minutes later, almost looking hung over. 

"Dad, are you feeling okay?" I'd been here for almost a year and a half, and I'd never once seen him sick.

Yawning, he answered, "Naw, I'm fine. Just had a rough night."

Crap! Did he overhear Tanya and me last night? But then I remembered his steady snoring. A sudden suspicion, too awful for words, crept into my mind.

"A lot of ... really strange dreams," he continued.

They'd _seduced_ my father! While I was in the house! My cheeks burned. "Um..." I tried to look at my father while avoiding his gaze. "Do you want this egg? I don't want it anymore. I'm feeling kind of queasy."

_While I was in the house!_ My first instinct was to murder whichever of those vampires had... ugh! With a shudder, I decided I didn't want to know. The entire universe would be better off pretending this had never happened.

In the deafening silence, I put a couple slices of bread in the toaster.

"So..." Charlie cleared his throat. "What are your plans for the day?"

Killing a vampire or three. _While I was in the house!_ Putting on a brave face, I answered, "I was just trying to decide that myself. I've got some calculus homework still, but I can do that when it's raining again. I'll probably just hang out around the yard and read." Where my guardian angels could keep an eye on me, and I could decide the best way to kill them. "Oh, and I've got to pick up a few groceries. That milk is nasty." The toast popped up and I started buttering it. "What are you up to today?"

"Well, I got a late start, but it'll still be a nice day for fishing." Then his voice turned falsely bright. "Hey, I know. Why don't you bring one of your favorite books along and come fishing with me. Just like old times."

Old times. Back in the days when Jacob ignored me because I had cooties instead of leeches. And I had ignored him back, playing with his sisters instead. Now I _really_ couldn't just hang out here by myself. Edward's absence today just reminded me all the more of how much I missed my best friend. "Sure, Dad. Sounds fun."

"Bells..."

I finally met his gaze, and there was concern in his eyes. He knew me far better than I'd ever imagined. My face softened as I handed him his toast. "I'm not going to go all zombie on you again. I promise."

He accepted the bread. "Thanks." I wasn't sure if he was referring to the toast or me staying sane. Maybe it was both. He began eating, so I put some toast in for me.

"If you don't want to come, Bells, that's okay. I just thought it would be nice to spend some family time together."

Family time? Where was this coming from? The memory of Edward's lips twitching in a smile came back to me. So Charlie's father-daughter fishing trip was what Edward had found so amusing. This was Carlisle's fault — he'd inspired my father's paternal instincts with his cozy little Cullen family camp-out. Good thing Charlie didn't know what the Cullens did during their family time. Of course, he was inviting me to go slaughter a bunch of innocent fish, so fundamentally, it wasn't all that different. The thought was appealing — Edward and me both hunting, even if we were hundreds of miles apart. "I don't mind one bit, Dad. But are you sure you want me tagging along? If I'm wrapped up in _Pride and Prejudice_, I'm not going to be very good company."

His eyes crinkled at the corners as he smiled. "I don't mind. Fishermen _like_ bookworms."

"Ha!" I grinned as I buttered my own toast, then I came to sit across the table from Charlie. We finished breakfast in our usual companionable silence.

It was almost ten in the morning before we made it to the nearest fishing hole, but Charlie seemed to be in exceptionally good spirits, whistling the whole way there. I tried to blame his sunny disposition on our family bonding time instead of on those strange dreams last night. Yep, I was going to find a way to kill a vampire. Edward wouldn't want me killing his... whatever Tanya and her sisters were to him, so I only had until nightfall. Then again, after hearing what they'd done, Edward might agree with me. He might even _help_...

Charlie retrieved his rod and tackle-box from the trunk, while I got out the chaise lounge and my book. The cooler we left in the car. Wordlessly, he waded into the creek and I set up my chair in the sun, drinking in the warmth. I only hoped Edward had an opportunity sometime this weekend to do the same. Jane Austen fell by the wayside as I imagined Edward laying on the grass beside me, scintillating in the sun. I hadn't needed fantasies lately — my imagination paled next to Edward's divine face — but it was pleasant now to bask in my dreams. For a while.

I'd been hearing it for some time before it finally registered that someone was humming "All Through the Night" behind me. I sat up, and it instantly stopped. Tanya was just reassuring me that she was still keeping watch. "Thank you," I whispered, knowing she'd hear me, then drifted back into my daydream.

Charlie only caught one fish that morning, and at one o'clock, he climbed up onto the bank beside me. "Not much biting today," he said amiably as he opened the cooler. "What'll you have?"

"Just a sandwich and an orange," I answered, getting to my feet.

Charlie waved me back down and brought me my lunch. "No need to get up." He eyed my book, which I hadn't touched for more than an hour. "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah, I am." Much more than I'd expected to.

He laid back against a log beside me and opened his sandwich. There was just a hint of suspicion in his voice when he said, "I'm glad you're catching up on your sleep."

Ah. So he was worried about my nightmares again. I didn't have to fake being cheerful on this one. "Even with a good eight hours of sleep last night, it still feels nice to take a nap." Especially when I'm taking it with my imaginary Edward. "The sun is too pleasant to stay awake."

He nodded in agreement. "Apparently the fish think so, too." He yawned hugely. "I'm tempted to doze for a bit myself, after that rough night."

I closed my eyes in aggravation. He would have to bring that up again!

"You sure you're not bored?" he asked.

Only if planning cold-blooded murder is boring. "Nope."

Charlie yawned again. "Then I'm going to crash for a bit. Wake me up when you get bored or the fish start jumping, whichever happens first."

If he started snoring, the fish would flee the state. "Sure thing, Dad."


	5. Hunting and Fishing

Ten minutes later, Charlie's snores abruptly stopped, bringing me back out of my daydream. I opened my eyes, only to be blinded by three figures scintillating in the sun. Irina was skipping rocks, while Tanya sat on the log next to Charlie. Kate was sitting on the ground beside him, her hand resting on his shoulder. She winked at me. "Poor man. He's all worn out!"

"Are you crazy!" I hissed, my anger flaring despite their glamor. I did my best to not imagine Charlie with... ugh!

Kate shrugged, sending shards of light dancing across the grass. "He's asleep, and we thought you might like some company."

My eyes were slowly adjusting to their radiance. "Get your hand off of him!"

"But if I release him, he might wake up," she said, baffled by my irritation. "We wouldn't want that. He needs his sleep."

My stomach churned and Tanya, shimmering and goddess-like, looked alarmed. "Are you well?"

"No!" I narrowed my eyes her, then glared at the other two. "One of you _seduced_ Charlie!"

Irina stared at me like I'd just grown a third eye. "We didn't hurt him, so why are you upset?"

"We?" I said weakly.

Kate giggled. "Oh come on, Bella. For all he knows, he had some extremely pleasant dreams. It's not that big of a deal."

"_But he's my father!_ Nobody wants to know when their parents... ugh!" I shuddered. It was bad enough with Renee and Phil.

Kate pouted. "Fine, silly. We'll leave him alone."

Too late. The damage was already done. I was scarred for life now.

Tanya gave me an appraising look. "Come, come, sisters. You recall Edward's reaction to Carlisle and Esme at the hospital."

"Yes," Irina answered, "and I thought it was ridiculous then, too."

"My point," Tanya said patiently, "is that Bella's reaction isn't all _that_ unusual, even if it is a bit unwarranted. This is Edward's mate — show a little courtesy."

They couldn't just drop something like that in my lap and walk away. "What happened at the hospital?"

Kate shared a grin with Tanya, then looked back to me. "I'm sure this is one story Edward would _never_ tell you. This was shortly before they moved to Forks. A young man with a particularly active imagination saw Irina and Alice out shopping with Edward and Jasper."

"He thought we were aliens from outer space here to," Irina snickered, "perform experiments with his reproductive organs."

"Anyway," Kate continued with a roll of the eyes, "he decided to follow them and eventually came across all twelve of us. Edward overheard him a couple of days later. It was enough of a threat that Edward decided to bring the news to Carlisle immediately."

"Edward was _so_ preoccupied," Tanya cut in, the gossipy tone from last night resurfacing, "that he walked right into Carlisle's hospital office in the middle of ... a private moment between Carlisle and Esme."

Blushing, I laughed with the others. Esme and Carlisle in the hospital?! That was horrific enough, but I could only imagine how mortified Edward must have been. Actually stumbling across your parents... I smiled gratefully at Tanya. At least Edward and I were in the same boat.

Encouraged, she sat back and winked at Irina. "I think his fury with you was the only time he's been more upset."

"What did you do?" I wondered in amazement. Irina had upset him even more than that?

Irina actually looked _embarrassed!_ She glanced at her sisters. "I'll tell if you will."

Kate giggled again. "Edward will skin us."

"He's going to anyway," Tanya pointed out. 

"What?" I demanded again.

"You first," Kate said to Irina.

Irina gave me a nervous glance, then started skipping stones again. "I showed him possibilities."

I waited expectantly.

After an awkward pause, her words poured out in a rush. "Eleazar said Edward wouldn't want us, but that was just throwing down the gauntlet, so we all had to at least _try_." She launched her stone, sending it skipping across the water and into the opposite shore.

"Except Irina went beyond trying," Tanya prodded, her eyes dancing in amusement at Irina's discomfort. "She used her rather impressive imagination to..."

I was furious. "You hunted Edward!"

"Unsuccessfully," Irina said quickly.

"But not before she filled his head with some..." Kate giggled, "unwelcome images."

"Hence Edward's fury," Tanya added.

I stared at Irina — her shapely, flawless, shimmering body moving gracefully as she skipped rocks — and felt utterly lost. Even without the difference of a thousand years' experience, there was no way I could compete with this gorgeous being. This was worse than Rosalie. Rosalie had Emmett, and she was clearly nothing more than a sister to Edward. She'd never actually made an effort to seduce Edward — that I knew of anyway. With images of _Irina_ in his head, how could he stand to even look at plain, human, ordinary me? How could he stand to touch and kiss me?

"He refused her, Bella," Kate said, suddenly solemn. "He refused all of us." Then the sun glinted radiantly off her smiling face. "He even dodged the noose with me and my talent."

"How did he do that?" I blurted out, aghast at the thought of Edward paralyzed by a hungry Kate.

She winked. "With charm. I cornered him and demanded a kiss. He couldn't run and he couldn't resist me physically, but he charmed me out of hunting him with a chivalrous kiss to the hand."

I returned her smile. I could easily envision Edward doing that, and I was glad that's all she had managed to weasel out of him. But I still felt a flash of petty jealousy. He'd never kissed my hand. My cheek, lips, jaw, neck... but not my hand.

With a vengeful grin, Irina said, "Tanya was the only one who ever came close to actually winning him."

I slowly turned to look at her, appalled. I knew she must have made an attempt, too, but she almost succeeded? Tanya, my friend. Tanya, queen of the vampires. In all the world, _she_ was my greatest rival? I wasn't sure which was stronger, despair or betrayal.

Tanya looked at her hands folded in her lap, her face carefully composed. When she finally lifted her eyes to meet mine, there was only a hint of knowing smile on her lips. "I intrigued him, Bella. Nothing more."

"Intrigued him how?" I demanded.

She lifted one shoulder in a lop-sided shrug. "I beat him at chess."

My brow furrowed in confusion; that wasn't what I was expecting. And then it dawned on me. She beat _Edward_. Somehow, she managed to outfox his mind-reading abilities. I thought I was the only one who could do that!

"That threw him, of course," Tanya continued, "and I caught him in a weak moment; but as with my sisters, he wouldn't give me more than a passing glance. I thought I'd finally have him a couple of years ago when he came to us, fleeing a certain puny little human girl," Tanya winked, "but he decided he'd rather go back to _her_ instead."

I searched her eyes. "But he hated me then."

She smiled sadly, her eyes softening. "There was never hate, my lovely little Bella. He felt threatened by you, and rightly so with your devastating scent and closed mind. He had every reason to stay with us, and yet he returned to sit at your side. When he thirsted so desperately for you, I knew his only choices were to run from you, hunt you, or love you. It pleases me immensely that love won out, and not just for Edward's sake."

"Thank you. Me too."

Her sparkling laugh rang out across the water. 

Irina wandered up the shoreline, looking for more rocks to skip. "Hey Bella, did Edward ever tell you about the time Kate dared him to drink a salmon?"

A cold-blooded animal. That must have been nasty! "No," I answered eagerly.

A little after four o'clock, Charlie jumped awake, looking about expectantly.

"Sorry, to wake you, Dad..."

He startled at the sound of my voice.

"...but the fish are jumping again." I tried to sound oblivious and failed miserably. If I was ever going to be a vampire, I'd have to become a better liar.

"Oh, okay." He looked around owlishly. "I think I'm done for the day. Let's go home." 


	6. Messages

There were two messages waiting on the machine when we got home. Charlie wordlessly placed the groceries on the counter as I hit play, and I sighed to hear Edward's velvety voice on the recorder. The sound soothed the fear and ache I hadn't even been aware of. "Hi, Bella, it's me. We're just coming up on Missoula. I hope you're out having fun with your dad. Call me when you get home."

So he _did_ know what Charlie was planning. I'd have to get back at him for that. But there was a hint of worry when he told me to call him. I skipped forward, saving the first message. I just couldn't bring myself to delete that irresistible voice.

Charlie's expression was sour as he wandered into the living-room.

"Hi, Bella." Edward was definitely worried this time. "Still haven't heard from you. Call me when you get in. Bye."

On the fourth try, my shaky hands finally dialed Edward's cell phone correctly.

"Bella?"

The tension in his voice made me smile as I put the milk away. "So it still makes you anxious to be away from me?"

"As never before," he said with relief. "Alice said I had nothing to worry about, but still..."

"It's good to hear you." It was heaven, actually.

"The feeling is mutual," he said, a smile in his voice. "I take it Charlie is in his recliner and can overhear you?"

I smiled, warmth spreading through me. "Yes on both counts." He knew me and Charlie too well.

"Carmen and Eleazar are keeping you safe still?"

"Yes." I wasn't sure how to mention Tanya, Kate, and Irina.

He seemed to sense my hesitation. "Are they staying outside?"

"Um..." I rearranged the cupboard, making room for the Cheerios, Lucky Charms, and Fruit Loops, "not exactly."

Silence.

"I'll deal with that when I arrive, I suppose." He didn't sound happy that his instructions had been ignored.

"How soon will that be?" I asked, hoping to cheer him a bit.

"Three or four hours. We're a little west of Spokane."

I almost dropped the orange juice. That was normally a seven-hour trip. "Drive safely."

I could almost hear the smirk. "Of course."

"Bella?" Charlie called from the living-room.

"I'm sorry, Edward, I've got to go."

"Let me guess. You're grounded from the phone, too — if I'm on it?"

"I think so."

"I'll see you soon, then. And I'll be counting the minutes."

"Me too." I blinked back the stupid, pointless tears.

"The words are insufficient, but I love you, Isabella Swan. Do you know that?"

The surety of my epiphany returned. "Yes. I do." Then in a lower voice, I said, "I love you, too."

"Good bye, Bella."

"Bye."

There was a click and then silence. I held the phone for a moment, waiting to make sure all the pieces were still in place. When I was certain I could fake cheerful to Charlie, I walked into the living-room. "Yeah, Dad?"

He looked up from the recliner, his expression a little too innocent. "I was just wondering if you wanted some help with dinner tonight."

"No, I've got it." I turned on my heel and marched back into the kitchen.

I battered the fish, bristling at this latest restriction. It wasn't fair. I hadn't seen him in more than twenty-four hours, and Charlie wouldn't let me talk with Edward for even five minutes. I abode by all his other demands... well... except for sleeping in Edward's arms every night.

That was a pretty significant exception, I reminded myself. Charlie hadn't expressly forbidden Edward from staying the night, but only because he didn't know. I'd probably be picking out tombstones if he did — for me, or for Charlie, and possibly both.

I was only slightly mollified by the time dinner was ready. He scooped coleslaw in uneasy silence, and I picked at the fish on my plate. When he cleared his throat, the sound echoed off the cheery yellow cabinets. "Bella, if you want to call him back while you do the dishes, I guess that's okay with me."

Charlie still couldn't bring himself to say Edward's name. "Maybe I will," I said indifferently, still angry.

He didn't look up from his plate, just nodded in dejected silence. We finished dinner wordlessly, then Charlie made his way to his chair and the inevitable game.

I stared unseeingly at the dinner table. Should I call Edward back? It was so hard to keep myself in one piece, especially with Charlie eavesdropping from the living room. Besides, I was still furious with him. I had a very satisfying vision of Charlie's face when he came into the kitchen to see a sinkful of dirty dishes. Wouldn't that send a message!

But the thought of going without the sound of Edward's voice when he was just seven little numbers away was too much. I dialed correctly on the first try, my heart thudding as the phone rang.

"Bella?" He sounded worried.

I smiled. "Dad said I could talk to you while I washed dishes." I propped the receiver on my shoulder while I ran hot water in the sink and added the soap.

"That was generous of him," Edward said dryly.

"I thought so," I answered happily. I couldn't be angry, not with Edward's voice warming me. "So how was..." I glanced over my shoulder at the living room. "... your weekend with the wild outdoors?"

"Interesting. It's been a while since we've gone on a targeted hunt."

"A targeted..." I stopped, remembering Charlie.

Edward chuckled darkly. "There were several bear attacks last year, and then again this spring in the Bob Marshall Wilderness in Montana, all assumed to be the same bear. Emmett figured we'd save the Forest Service the trouble of killing it."

"That sounds..." dangerous, I almost said, "...exciting."

"I don't know that I'd go that far, but it was certainly a ruckus, with the bear being a man-eater and all." There was a slight pause. "I made a video of it."

"You what?"

His tone was carefully off-handed. "Emmett thought this one might be worth remembering, so I offered to record it. We'll destroy the video chip once you've had a chance to see it."

I rinsed the plates in bewildered silence. He'd always freaked at the idea of me seeing a hunt.

"In the interest of full disclosure," he explained, "to let you see a real vampire hunt."

So that was the game he was playing. "It's not going to change my mind," I declared.

"Perhaps not," he conceded.

We'd had this conversation so many times I could practically repeat it in my sleep. Come to think of it, I probably had. "But you had to try." I smiled wryly. 


	7. Comparing Notes

Edward and I talked until the dishes were done and for another ten minutes before Charlie finally told me to hang up again. This time, though, I was in much better spirits. By now, Edward was only a couple of hours away. I hurried upstairs and, as I'd hoped, Tanya, Kate, and Irina were waiting for me. "Where are Carmen and Eleazar?"

Kate grinned at me, picking up a brush and my box of hair accessories. "They promised Edward that they'd patrol outside, so that's what they're doing."

"Mostly," Irina said with a wink.

I didn't even want to _think_ about what she meant by that.

"Come sit down," Kate invited. "I've been itching to get my hands on your lovely locks since I first laid eyes on you."

First Alice, now Kate. I grimaced as I sat on the floor beside my bed. "What is it with vampires and makeovers, anyway?"

"It's not our fault you have beautiful hair." With deft strokes, Kate began to brush it.

Tanya was in her throne of a rocking chair, but Irina lay on her back beside me, one knee bent and the other leg crossed over it. Her foot swayed in the air as though keeping time with music only she could hear. "You know," she said conversationally, "there's something I've been dying to know — "

"Metaphorically, of course," I put in.

She grinned. " — metaphorically, since _I_ first laid eyes on you."

"What's that?"

"Hypothetically... if you were to seduce Edward, how would you go about doing it?"

I turned to stare at her, choking on my embarrassed laugh. Kate tisked as my hair slipped from her hands. "What?!"

"Hold still," Kate chided.

"Consider it a matter of professional interest."

Great. Bella the science experiment again. "I've never really contemplated it," I answered coldly.

"Now I'm curious, too," Kate threw in. "You two are obviously very attracted to each other."

"Look, it's really not an issue. I mean, I know he wants me and — "

"Lovely little Bella," Tanya scolded sweetly, "seduction isn't merely appealing to a man's... baser instincts."

Irina winked. "If he wanted a lap dance, all he'd have to do is come to one of _us_." 

Tanya shook her head when my heart stopped, and Kate shook my shoulder lightly. "Come on, Bella. That's our point."

"He never has," Tanya insisted.

Irina leered. "Even with some rather enticing invitations."

My heart began beating again.

"Seduction is about appealing to heart and mind, as well as body," Tanya continued. "It requires time — and tension."

"So how would you go about it?" Irina persisted.

"I don't know." It wasn't like I'd ever really tried to cross Edward's lines. I knew they were for my own good. "Tell him yes, I suppose."

Tanya raised her eyebrows expectantly, so I added, "He proposed."

Kate squealed in delight and hugged me tightly. Irina was on her knees beside me, her face eager, and Tanya's lips were turned down as she tried to resist a smile. "You've been holding out on us." Her severe tone was ruined by the grin that broke through.

I could feel myself blushing. "I'm not sure that _his_ family even knows yet, so don't go telling everyone."

Kate was suddenly beside me on the floor. "How did he do it? The classic on-one-knee-with-a-ring?"

I laughed, remembering my reaction when he mentioned rings. "Not even close. It was the sole condition to him granting my wish."

"Which is?" Irina demanded.

"Him turning me into a vampire."

"Not Carlisle?" Tanya was surprised.

"Carlisle promised me he'd do it after graduation. Then Edward offered to change me, but only if I married him first." I frowned slightly, suddenly suspicious. I'd have to make sure our wedding vows didn't include the phrase _'til death do you part_. Knowing him, he'd try to use that line as an excuse to not change me.

Tanya shook her head in dismay. "He used his proposal as a bargaining chip? How unromantic!"

Kate pouted. "I expected better of him."

"I didn't expect it at all." Irina retorted.

"I didn't either." I grimaced. I really hadn't handled that night gracefully.

Kate resumed her place on the bed, her cool hands combing through my hair. "So you haven't told him yes?"

"Not yet. The idea of a 'missus' in front of my name is terrifying, even if it is Mrs. Cullen."

"All's fair in love and war," Tanya mused. "If he used marriage as a lever, you could do the same."

"A lever?"

"To seduce him, silly," Kate laughed.

We were _not_ having this conversation. "It's just not something I worry about, okay? Besides, didn't you tell me not to go there, Tanya?"

"That was before I knew he proposed. If he's planning on changing you, and soon, then that's different." She winked. "A girl who isn't fantasizing about her honeymoon shouldn't get married, as I should know."

I remembered that her marriage had been arranged.

Irina looked at me with a smirk. "Besides, there are ways and then there are ways."

"You could send him places he's only dreamed about," Kate elaborated, "and without removing a stitch of your own clothing, sweetheart."

I closed my eyes, my ears burning with embarrassment. "We are _not_ talking about this!"

Irina laughed lightly. "Why, she's as chaste as Edward!"

I jerked to my feet in fury and was half-way to the door before Tanya was in front of me, a wry smile on her face. "Lovely little Bella, you misunderstand us." She cupped my cheeks in her hands, as though comforting a sullen child. "Edward was a challenge unlike any other. He proved himself a worthy adversary, and while it was grudging at first, we have grown to have great respect for him and the strength of his convictions."

Irina was at my side. "It was a compliment, not an insult."

"A perfect fit," Kate reminded me with a wink.

I gave her a wary look. "So why are you trying to convince me to seduce him?"

Kate's laugh was sweet and bright. "It's what we do, Bella."

"Besides," Irina said, laying on the floor again. "I was only talking hypothetically."

I pursed my lips in annoyance. "Well, I'm sure anything I came up with wouldn't be creative enough to interest you three. In a thousand years, I'm sure you've tried everything I could ever think of."

Irina smirked at the ceiling. "And several things you couldn't even imagine."

"But how would _you_ go about it?" Kate wheedled.

Sitting on the floor in front of Kate, I looked to Tanya for help. She gave me the wrong kind. "Heart, mind, and body. You can reach him in ways no one else can. Think about it, Bella. How?"

Kate began braiding my hair, and I relaxed under the motion. I liked the idea of me having more influence over Edward than all three of them put together. "Hypothetically?"

Laughter danced in Tanya's eyes. "Of course."

Closing my eyes, I thought for a few minutes. I didn't dare think about... me and Edward doing that here, where I slept in his arms every night. That was provocative enough as it was. Besides, Charlie could come home any second.

Oh well, this was just a fantasy anyway. In real life, there was no way to get out of my house arrest. "I'd have him take me back to the meadow, on a sunny day." We'd never had a time more honest or intimate. I sighed, happily this time. I could live in that memory forever. "And I would touch his hands and arms like I did then."

"He unbuttoned his shirt that day," I continued, "but I only ever touched his hand and arm. This time, I'd let my fingers trail..." I paused, remembering I had an audience. But my train of thought was not about to be derailed. I could almost feel my fingers trailing over all his perfect musculature. His shoulders, his ribs, his chest — sometimes caressing, sometimes teasing. I could almost hear him protesting, and my soft answer of 'shh'.

"And then?" Tanya asked softly.

I smiled, my eyes still closed. This was a fantasy, right? I didn't need to be afraid of _pretending_ to accept his proposal. "Then I'd tell him yes, that I wanted to marry him."

Kate laughed softly behind me, and I opened my eyes. It was disconcerting, sitting in my plain old bedroom after a fantasy like that. "Intimate, innocent, and perfect. He would be undone, Bella."

"Yeah, well, it's not going to happen," I grumbled, and I was surprised at how disappointed I felt. "I'm grounded indefinitely."

Tanya shrugged. "It was all hypothetical anyway."

"And for the record, Bella," Irina said, "I've never received — much less wanted to accept — a marriage proposal. You've thought of a way to seduce him that I've never even considered."

"So there!" Kate giggled.


	8. Preparations

I was showered and ready for bed and Edward _still_ hadn't arrived. Carmen had joined the other women in my absence, sitting on my bed as she and Kate whispered and laughed about something.

Seeing me in my tank top and cotton pajama pants, Tanya actually laughed aloud. "You're not wearing _that_ to bed, are you?"

I looked down at my shirt, worried there was toothpaste on it or something. "It's what I wear every night."

Tanya put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently. "Lovely little Bella, you can do better than that!"

"It's lamentable," Kate agreed.

"Just inexperienced," Irina said with a wink.

Tanya turned imperiously to Carmen. "You are our best hope, Carmen. Find her something fitting to wear for her lover."

"He's not my — "

Tanya gave me a knowing grin. "Not for want of desire."

Carmen leaped to her feet, her eager face pleased. With a flourish, she opened my closet door. "Dios mio!" She turned to me in dismay. "Alice has never seen this, has she?"

"Actually, she has. She helped me dress for a month and a half after I got hurt in Phoenix."

"And she didn't offer to... assist you?"

I grimaced at the memory. "Offer is too weak a word. I had to scold her roundly, and even then she got me a complete — and ridiculously expensive — outfit for prom."

"But to cast aside a woman as gifted as Alice when you have..." Carmen looked in distaste at my closet, "this. It's — "

"Oh, come on!" I stepped in front of her and pulled the door closed behind me. "It's not that bad. Besides, you know Alice. She wouldn't be content with just my wardrobe once I gave her the reins. She'd haul Esme over here and remodel the house, too!"

"Try the drawers," Irina suggested, ignoring me.

Muttering something in Spanish, Carmen crossed to my dresser. "Even I can't put together a suitably sensual ensemble from a pair of old sneakers and a frayed Arizona State t-shirt."

It's a very disconcerting feeling, watching someone else rummage through your underwear drawer. "This really isn't necessary."

"Of course it isn't, silly!" Kate said brightly. "But we adore you. It's this or make an emergency run to the nearest decent store. That's where, Port Angeles? Even if they were open at this time of night, we'd never get you back in time."

"I'll bet Rosalie's wardrobe has a few interesting outfits," Irina said, to my horror. I wasn't sure which would be worse — wearing whatever racy things they found in her closet, or Rosalie's fury when she realized her clothes had been borrowed for _me_.

"She's more Alice's size," Carmen answered, moving on to my shirt drawer.

That was even worse!

"I doubt seeing Bella in his sisters' negligee would do much for Edward," Tanya said dryly. "We'll work with what we have. Besides, we must stay true to Bella. _She_ is his style."

Did Tanya's family aggravate Edward as much as they did me? "Are you guys always this pushy?"

Carmen shut my shirt drawer and gave me a knowing smirk. "You don't know the half of it." Then she started shuffling through my jeans. After a moment, she stood and turned to face me, thoughtfully tapping her chin with her finger. "Tanya, the blue blouse from her closet."

The shirt Edward liked — the one he had complimented in La Bella Italia the day he saved me from the thugs. The one I wore the first day I visited his house. How on earth did Carmen know to pick that shirt?

"Kate," Carmen continued, "braid her hair in a fashion fit for a princess. Irina, go borrow a pair of heels from Alice's room, silver or white, along with any other props that might be useful." She grinned widely. "And I shall do her makeup."

Irina bolted out the window, while the others jumped to work. I blinked, dazed, as one shirt flew up over my head and another flashed down to tangle in my arms. "Stop that!"

"But he's less than an hour away!" Tanya scolded. "Work with us, Bella."

"Or not," Kate said, a cheerful menace in her voice.

I shivered. "All right, all right." My arms found their way through the sleeves. 

Kate steered me toward the bed and made me sit on its edge while she knelt behind me. Her cold hands were instantly in my hair, tugging gently but swiftly.

Carmen pulled the rocking chair up in front of me and shook her head in dismay at my sorry make-up collection. "I know what I'm getting you for Christmas."

"Don't even think about it," I muttered as she brandished the mascara. I closed my eyes against the coming horror.

"Are you sure?" Tanya asked anxiously a minute later.

"Trust me," Carmen assured her.

"It seems a little — "

Carmen cut her off. "I'm staying true to Bella."

"Are you giving me a fake black eye?" I demanded.

Tanya's laugh sparkled. "You'll see, lovely little Bella."

"You'd better not. I don't need any help in the bruised department."

"Or in the sliced-open-and-stitched-up department," Kate said. "Although that _is_ an idea. Fake slicing and stitches, that is."

"You're making her grimace," Carmen scolded. "Do your own job and leave her alone."

A few tense minutes later, my eyes flew wide open as someone — Kate — scooped me up in her arms and whisked me away to the bathroom mirror. Unlike at prom, the girl in the reflection wasn't a stranger. My cheeks were rosier, my lips a little softer, my eyes framed by thick lashes, but it was still me. The hair, however, was beautiful. An elaborate crown of tight little braids circled the top of my head, while the rest of my hair fell freely past the shoulders. I met Carmen's eyes in the mirror and she winked. "A pretty little princess."

Kate ran her fingers through my hair. "Locked away in a tower, waiting for a valiant knight to rescue her."

I laughed. "Complete with fairy godmothers."

Tanya smiled warmly at me from the hallway.

"What are you all doing in the bathroom?" Irina demanded, suddenly in my bedroom again.

"Admiring a princess," Kate said happily as we filed out.

Irina rolled her eyes and deposited an armful of random items on my bed. "Shoes," she said, producing a pair of six-inch white Stilleto heels. Carmen's shoulders slumped in relief, and my heart sank in terror.

"Stockings?" Irina asked, holding up a pair of silky thigh-highs.

Carmen shook her head no with a smile. "The more skin the better."

Irina tossed them on the bed with an indifferent shrug. "And this!" she declared triumphantly, holding up a pair of petite white swim-shorts.

"Perfect!" Carmen exclaimed with glee. "Quick, go change into these, Bella."

"But..."

"Do you need help, sweetheart?" Kate asked, with absolutely no hint of a veiled threat in her expression.

Glowering, I snatched the shorts from Irina's hand and stomped off to the bathroom. It was hard to be mad at them, though, when I caught my reflection in the mirror. Still not worthy of Edward, but at least I looked pretty for a human. Presentable, anyway.

When I went back to my bedroom, Irina and Carmen were arguing. "The white feathers on the boa would emphasize her blush," Carmen insisted.

"But the pearl necklace would emphasize her cleavage," Irina shot back.

Especially compared to present company, I didn't want anyone noticing my rather pitiful cleavage.

"A silver choker?" Kate suggested, picking it up out of my jewelery box.

It wasn't real silver, of course. Silvery thread had been loosely woven into a two-inch-wide choker that rode high on the neck. Renee had given it to me for Christmas last year, and though it was pretty, it was far too flashy for me. In my numb zombie state, I had simply set it aside without further thought. But now, as the choker sparkled in Kate's hand, I saw it in a new light. It would draw attention to my throat, emphasizing my otherwise-bare neck, offering the skimpiest of protection. In other words, tantalizing. Just the sort of thing that would drive a vampire boyfriend crazy — in all the wrong ways.

"Perfect!" Carmen exclaimed with a delighted clap of her hands. Tanya shot me a knowing grin.

They were acting like they'd just found a hidden stash of lingerie. "I've never worn it before," I protested. "It was a gift from my mother!"

Tanya gave me a sly wink. "Sure, Bella. Whatever you say."

I rolled my eyes.


	9. Party Girls

"If you think this is bad," Carmen said, as she clasped the choker around my neck, "just wait until the wedding."

Kate smiled, her eyes distant. "Ah, the shopping! We'll throw you a world-class bridal shower!"

"Leave the shower to Esme," Irina snorted. "We'll throw the bachelorette party!"

I could feel my ears burning in embarrassment. "No."

But it was too late. 

"Ooh!" Kate's eyes were wide in delight. "A bachelorette party!"

"Fifty years of writing about them," Tanya grinned, "and we finally get to throw one."

"With our combined experience," Irina said confidently, "this will be a party to remember."

"No!" I repeated.

Kate was wriggling in anticipation. "I call dibs on the entertainment."

"It was _my_ idea," Irina shot back. "I get to plan the entertainment. You plan the..." she looked sidelong at me and then back at Kate, "refreshments."

Kate burst out in a delighted giggle.

What the heck did _that_ mean? "NO!" I said more loudly.

"I suppose you'll delegate the decorations to me?" Carmen asked, petulant.

"Sure," Irina answered, enjoying herself far too much. "And the music for the strippers."

I hid my face in my hands. "_NO!_"

Tanya's sparkling laugh brought my head up sharply. She smiled at my death-glare. "Lovely little Bella, they're only doing this to see you blush."

"Hey!" Carmen exclaimed, giggling almost as much as Kate. "We should make a video of her blush for Edward!"

"Hour upon hour of Bella's seductively rosy cheeks," Kate grinned like an idiot, "for Edward's _private_ viewing pleasure."

"Or he could play it at his bachelor party!" Irina roared with laughter.

An icy wave of fury washed over me. It was one thing for them to poke fun at me, but they'd already had more fun at Edward's expense than I liked. "Edward wouldn't have a bachelor party," I said coldly.

Irina smirked at me. "Oh, come on, Bella! You _know_ Emmett's going to throw one for him."

"Ha!" Carmen barked out a laugh. "He'll try and it'll end up as a wrestling match with someone getting thrown off a cliff."

Tanya smirked. "And Jasper will be a safe but entertaining distance away, laughing his head off in that quiet, reserved way of his."

"While Alice and Rosalie take pictures." Kate was laughing so hard it was difficult to understand her.

"In the meantime," Irina gasped through her hysteria, "Carlisle conveniently disappears..."

Even Tanya was laughing now. "...looking for poor Mrs. Cullen who is hiding in a hole somewhere in embarrassment."

"While the strippers try to not become refreshments themselves," Irina snorted.

"This is _SO_ not funny!" I fumed.

"Bella's right," Tanya declared, coming to sit beside me on the bed and putting a supportive arm around my shoulders. Her eyes danced in wicked humor. "Our dear Cullen males wouldn't have human strippers." She turned her appraising eyes on her sisters. "Which one of _us_ will provide the live entertainment for Edward's party?"


	10. Busted

Edward stormed into my room then, his eyes a livid black, and the laughter immediately stilled. Tanya looked up at him with a jaunty smile. "Hello, pet."

His lips were almost white, they were pressed so firmly together, and his eyes were slits. He looked murderously lethal — and glorious. A little shiver ran down my spine.

Edward turned on Tanya. "I distinctly recall," he said through clenched teeth, "leaving rather explicit instructions..."

Tanya stood, nodding slightly to her sisters. Kate and Irina also stood and all three of these stunningly-seductive creatures converged on Edward. Catching my eye, Carmen winked and smothered a grin. As she walked, the Tanya who had been my friend and confidant was transformed into a goddess of lust. "Yes, I know," she answered in sweetly sultry tones, "but Edward, did you honestly think you could order _us_ around?"

Edward stood still as stone, his body taut with restraint. On his face was a look I'd never forgotten but hadn't seen since the first day we met. He was doing his best to not kill someone. Kate leaned on his left shoulder and Irina rubbed against his right arm. Tanya caressed his cheek. "Did I not tell you, Bella?" Tanya said, her eyes never leaving his. "The perfect picture of self-control."

His lips curled back in a soft snarl.

All three of them laughed as though he'd said something witty, then Tanya stood on her tip-toes to kiss him. His hands balled into fists and he sharply turned his head so that her lips touched his cheek. Even though I knew they weren't serious, even though I knew they could kill me as easily as look at me, the palms of my hands tingled with fury.

"Edward, my dear," Irina said softly in his ear, but loudly enough for me to hear, "you smell positively... nauseating."

Edward actually looked chagrined at that and Kate giggled. He finally cracked a tight, little smile and looked at Tanya with wary anger instead of murder in his eyes.

Tanya stood straighter, her voice ringing with authority. "Edward Anthony Masen Cullen, you pass the test!" Then turning to me with her sparkling eyes, she held her hand out for mine. "Isabella?" My friend was back.

I took her hand and she turned again to Edward. "Lovely little Bella, I entrust you to this worthy man..."

"This paradigm of virtue," Kate added.

"This pillar of strength," Irina said with a snicker.

Tanya placed my hand in Edward's and came to stand behind me, her hands on my shoulders. "Edward Cullen, guard our sister well."

He gave her a double-take at that, but a slight draft told me she and her sisters were already gone.

Edward warily took in my intricate hairstyle and expertly done make-up, then lifted a hand to trace the line of the choker. "So you're part of Tanya's coven now?"

His icy fingertips on my neck took my breath away. "Not a ... permanent member."

He shook his head, dismay behind the affection in his eyes. "My sweet, innocent Bella, what have they _done_ to you?"

I could feel the blush creeping over my cheeks. "They did a lot more to Charlie."

He closed his eyes with a nauseated look, his hand falling away from my neck, and groaned. "I'm going to flay all three of them."

"Do I get to help?" I asked brightly.

He finally laughed at that, and I threw my arms around his marble neck. His scent, his cold body against mine, his lips on my neck — Edward was home! "Would you think me the scary stalker type if I said I _really_ missed you?"

He held me tightly, nuzzling my hair. "No, I'd think you the irresistibly alluring stalker type."

There _was_ something different about his scent. It was mostly his hair and clothes, but he smelled like he'd actually been camping — wind and woodsmoke and... "Bacon?"

He looked chagrined again. "Stomach-turning, isn't it? I should have showered before coming over, but — "

"I don't mind." He could smell like a skunk and I'd still be glad to see him. "It's actually sort of nice. Human."

He grimaced. "Rosalie's been having fits about how disgusting we all smell. I hope Tanya and company give _her_ a hard time too."

"Why bring bacon on a hunt, then?" I couldn't help it. I just couldn't stop running my fingers through his hair. "I mean, if there's ever a time when you don't need to worry about the appearance of normal..."

"Bait."

I stared at him, slack-jawed. "Bait?"

He grinned wickedly at my expression. "What did you think I meant by a targeted hunt? We needed to make sure we caught the right bear. Emmett built a fire, cooked up five pounds of bacon, slathered the grease all over himself and just sat there. We didn't have to wait long."

I had a sudden image of one of Charlie's lures eating the fish. "That must have been quite a shock for the bear."

Edward laughed grimly. "I suppose it would be." He suddenly stiffened. "Charlie."

Crap! Here I was dressed to kill, and my dad was coming to check on me! I hurried to my bed, wobbling and twisting my ankle, as Edward flicked off the light and disappeared, either into my closet or out my window. I couldn't tell which and didn't care, so long as he didn't go far.

I burrowed deeply under my quilt, hoping and praying that Charlie would just peek in and leave as usual. My bedroom door swung open with the faintest of creaks. I breathlessly waited, tensing as the seconds past. Wouldn't that be just my luck? The one night when I actually look like I'm sneaking out — and when I'm actually staying in — Charlie decides to make more than a cursory check on me. I heard a footfall as he stepped into my room. Crap, crap, crap! I was _so_ dead! He'd take one look at my hair and make-up and _heels_ and either have a coronary or ship me off to Phoenix.

Another footstep. I could just see myself trying to talk my way out of this one. The truth certainly wouldn't do. 'Well you see, Dad, those women from your really strange dreams last night are actually real, and they decided to fancy me up for Edward, who is currently sitting on the roof.' No lie I could come up with would sound any more plausible, either. No one who knew me would ever believe I planned on actually walking more than two feet in Alice's white death-traps.

Why didn't he just leave? Sudden inspiration hit me, and taking a deep breath, I sleep-mumbled something about marshmallows.

A heart-beat later, the door closed with a soft click.


	11. Homecoming

Edward pulled back the quilt and whispered low in my ear, sending a thrill down my spine. "Remind me to give you lessons on lying sometime. Preferably before you have to fake something again."

"It's not my fault he decided to take a closer look," I grumbled amiably, rolling on my back so I could see his heavenly face. Edward was home and nothing could ruin my mood — not Tanya, not Charlie, not even Edward himself.

"No, it's not," he agreed, his welcome scent washing over me again. "Charlie is getting more devious. He thought you'd bunched up your blanket to make it look like you were in bed, and that you sneaked out of the house to come visit me." Edward's fingertips idly traced the lines of my face — eyebrow, cheekbone, jaw, lips. "When you weren't breathing, it only made him more suspicious."

Moonlight and mischief sparkled in his golden eyes, making my pulse race wildly. "He should be far more concerned by the fact that you're home in bed every night." His lips brushed lightly against mine, my breath mingling with his. "We'd have much less privacy at my house."

My lips moved silently as I tried to summon a coherent response. All I could think about... all I could _feel_... was his cool scent — enticing me closer, drawing me in, awakening a hunger for more.

"I've missed you, Bella." His lips brushed mine again, and then again, ever so slowly. "So very, very much." He inhaled deeply, then his marble cheek moved against mine. He chuckled, his cool breath in my ear, and the mere sound made me want to laugh for joy. "And then I come home to this," his lips played with the choker. "They've turned you into a perfect little succubus, Isabella Swan." Icy little kisses left a tingling trail across my throat. My head was spinning. "I'm not sure whether to tear Tanya apart or thank her."

I closed my eyes and took a sharp breath, trying to remember how to inhale. 

"Do you have a preference?" he casually asked.

"Preference?" I breathed with difficulty, opening my eyes.

He laughed lightly, bathing me in his exquisite scent again. "Are you paying attention _at all_?"

"Yes." I struggled to recall any details from our conversation but finally gave up. "To the important parts."

Edward flashed his beautiful, crooked smile. "Why do I have a hard time believing that?"

I smiled, then reached up to trace his face. "First, you did this." My fingers wandered over his brow and cheek. When I touched his lips, he turned to kiss the palm of my hand, and I closed my eyes with a whimper. "And this." I pulled him down and slowly brushed my lips against his, again and again until his breath quickened. "And this." My cheek caressed his, my warm breath playing over his ear. "Then this." I left burning kisses across his icy neck. "And then finally..." My moist lips parted at the base of this throat, and he caught and held his breath.

Too close to the line.

He stretched out beside me and laid his head on my chest, listening to my heart. "You _were_ paying attention." He sighed, holding me more tightly. "Far too observant for your own good."

I stroked his hair, my pulse gradually slowing, and smiled at how we'd come full circle. He'd left only yesterday, but it felt like he'd been gone for weeks. Then it finally came back to me; he'd called me a succubus. Where had I read that word before? "Edward, what's a succubus?"

He was instantly still. "They didn't explain that?"

"Uh-uh." 

After a pause, he said slowly, "A succubus is a legendary vampire or demon whose only reason for existing is to seduce men." A sarcastic edge crept into his words. "Sound like anyone we know?"

I stared at the ceiling and shook my head in disbelief. An entire legend — a myth really — about that trio of aggravating females. "And you think I'm one?" I should have been offended, but oddly enough...

He laughed and lifted his head, but his eyes were tight. "Well, Tanya did call you her sister." He fingered the choker again, eyes softening a little. "And you _are_ irresistibly alluring. But I think your singular attachment to me," he caressed my face from forehead to chin, "disqualifies you in the technical sense of the word."

I caught his hand and turned to press my lips against his palm. "And what about now, virtuous Edward Cullen? All those years, your family _lived_ with Tanya's and they couldn't reach you. Will this succubus finally earn more than a passing glance?"

He barked out a laugh, then smiled at me crookedly with smoldering eyes. "Let me put it this way. I've never even wanted to share a bed with any woman but you." Then his eyes tightened with worry again. "Breathe, Bella."

I hadn't even noticed I'd stopped.

Caressing my cheek again, his golden eyes danced. "Now are you going to sleep with me or not?"

I tried to speak, but no sound came out. "Sleep with you?"

Edward heard me anyway, his eyes wide with innocence. "That's why you're in bed, isn't it? To sleep?"

"Oh." My breath came in little gasps. "Yeah. Sleep."

He chuckled, shifting me so I was cuddled against his chest. "And as for the virtuous Edward Cullen, his approach is the same as Tanya's."

My mind was still reeling. "Which is?"

"If you can't beat 'em," he drew the back of my hand to his lips and kissed my ring-finger, "convince 'em to join you." 


	12. Loose Ends

**Author's Note:** This is my last chapter for a while. I'm leaving the story open, but I won't be posting any more until after _Eclipse_ comes out. Depending on what happens in the book, I might post a few more chapters, but my awesome beta Butterscotch (thanks again!) will need time to review any new material, so... it'll be a while. Sorry:)

I'm reluctant to post this one, since it's heading toward things that will likely be covered in _Eclipse_ and I'll probably have to revise it, but I promised twelve chapters, so here it is. :) Just be forgiving, please, if I have to change things around later. Thanks:)

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I love singing Bella to sleep. As soon as I start humming, her entire body relaxes. If she's tired, as she was that night, she falls off to sleep almost immediately. That moment is a treasure unto itself. Her breathing grows deeper, and her body temperature rises, radiating warmth like my own personal sun. With the rising warmth comes her scent, burning and sweet, and I gladly drink it in.

So long as she's awake, her pulse sometimes skips a beat, but her heart beats steadily when she passes into slumber. Always, I wish I could hear her dreams, but her heart and her scent tell many tales. If her pulse grows erratic, she's dreaming about me. A quick, steady pulse is a pleasant dream, unless there is adrenaline, too, and then it's a nightmare. She never used to have them before, but thankfully, they're growing less frequent. And then there's another dream where her heart pounds and her scent has a certain musk. It's that dream that makes me think she really does want to marry me.

Sweeter than all this is hearing her talk in her sleep. Sometimes her words are downright silly, a jumbled mad libs of the subconscious. Often she talks of mundane things — homework, housework, rain. Once, she scolded Alice — for five whole minutes — for buying her too many clothes. But among all these precious, unedited thoughts, there is always one gem for which I eagerly wait. "I love you." The night I came back from the overnighter, she said it four times.

A couple of hours before dawn, Bella fell into a deep, silent sleep. Only then did I reluctantly slip away to shower and change.

Jasper passed me in the night, nodding to me as he headed out to keep watch over Bella's house. He was concerned for Bella, his thoughts on werewolves and Victoria. Ever since Bella saved both Alice and me in Volterra, he'd been the first to volunteer for patrols. Bella was more than just mine now; she belonged to the entire family. When we left her, our family fractured. With Bella soon to be changed, we were almost whole again.

My blissful peace was shattered, though, as soon as I drew near the house. Tanya's family was still here. I almost went back to Bella's, but I decided it was best to focus on damage control. Besides, after having the opportunity to slip those heels off Bella's feet, I was more inclined toward thanking Tanya than killing her.

Rosalie was beating Irina, Kate, and Emmett at poker in the dining room, while Tanya, Esme, and Carlisle sat in the living room, chatting. And Alice...

"Alice has been laughing her head off in her bedroom ever since we got home," Esme said when she saw me. "What on earth is going on?"

Tanya's lips quirked up in amusement. _You haven't even told your mother that you proposed? I'm ashamed of you, pet. Take my advice and tell her. The longer you wait, the worse it's going to be._

My words were for Esme and Carlisle, but I narrowed my eyes at Tanya. "Alice might be laughing because she saw Charlie with three succubi."

Esme covered her eyes with her hand, shaking her head in disbelief.

Carlisle stared slack-jawed at Tanya. "You hunted _here_?"

She shrugged. "It was a slow night."

"Then you should have stayed in Alaska," I snarled.

"But Edward," Tanya protested, "then I would have missed my chance to see your lovely little Bella blush." _You really ought to get that on camera before you change her._

_Well I can't say as I blame her for coming,_ Esme smiled up at me. _I'd be dying of curiosity, too._

"Besides," Tanya said with a polished pout, "we promised Bella we'd leave Charlie alone from now on. It must be _something else_ that Alice finds so amusing."

"Do you mean to say you know?" Esme demanded.

Tanya leaned back and said virtuously, "I am sorry, Mrs. Cullen, but it's not my secret to tell."

I _would_ kill her. Preferably roasting her on a spit over a fire. _Slowly_.

Esme frowned expectantly at me. "Edward?"

I hung my head. How was it that Tanya and her sisters could always turn me on my ear. She was right, too, damn it. The longer I delayed, the worse Esme's reaction would be. But I had been waiting for Bella to accept my proposal. "I asked Bella to marry me," I said, so softly that my words didn't carry past Carlisle and Esme.

_He proposed?_ Esme was deeply wounded. _And he didn't tell me?_

_His is not the face of a man soon to be married,_ Carlisle observed, placing a gentle hand on Esme's arm.

She met Carlisle's gaze, exasperated. _What?_

_Esme..._ Carlisle directed his gaze back to me, willing Esme to really look.

Wordless, and yet so in tune with each other that words were unnecessary. Would I ever be so close to Bella?

Esme finally saw what Carlisle had seen. _Oh no._ She stood and took my hand. "Edward?"

"She hasn't really given me an answer one way or the other," I reassured her.

A sad smile graced Esme's face. _That's why he didn't speak sooner._ "I'm sure it is only a matter of time."

I looked away from her sympathetic eyes. This was precisely why I hadn't told her.

_Edward, you're wrong._ Tanya caught my attention by actually using my name. _Bella does not fear the silencing of her heart. She loves you desperately, more than life itself._

"We will not discuss this now," I said, narrowing my eyes at her.

Esme looked from Tanya to me expectantly. _Discuss what?_

"Fine," Tanya answered with a shrug. But in her mind, I saw Bella, sitting on her bedroom floor with her eyes closed. _"I'd have him take me back to the meadow, on a sunny day." Bella sighed blissfully. "And I would touch him like I did then. He unbuttoned his shirt that day," she continued, "but I only ever touched his hand and arm."_

No! She did not tell _them_ about that day! It was too pure, too perfect for Tanya to understand! Surely Bella knew that.

Tanya's memory continued. _"This time, I'd let my fingers trail..." Bella paused. "And then?" Tanya prompted softly. Bella smiled, her eyes still closed. "Then I'd tell him yes, that I wanted to marry him."_

"I fail to see why Alice would find Bella's indecision so amusing," Esme said, interrupting our thoughts.

"It's not the wedding she's seeing," Tanya explained with a smirk. "We've decided to throw Bella a bachelorette party."

Emmett caught Tanya's words. "Bachelorette party?" The poker game was instantly forgotten. Fresh laughter rolled down the stairs from Alice's room.

Heaven help me! "You're dead," I mouthed to Tanya.

She winked and blew me a kiss.


	13. Good News

Author's note: Anybody bothering to read my other stories will see that this is the only AU I've posted. There's a reason for that – I'm not good at AU. :) Enough people convinced me this is an enjoyable story, so I'm continuing it, but please bear with me if the quality of the story "ends badly." ;) Everything previous to this chapter was written prior to Eclipse. From here on out, I'll be more or less following Ms. Meyer's universe with the one obvious exception that Bella has already met the Denali coven. Thanks for your patience and encouragement. Enjoy!

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Emmett, Rosalie, and Irina darted in from the dining room, while Kate lagged behind just long enough to filch a couple of poker chips from Rosalie's stack. _I wonder how long it will take her to notice. _

Alice was instantly at my side, her eyes flashing with delight as a hundred different visions of Bella's and my respective embarrassments flashed through her mind. "You were going to throw a party without _me_?"

Emmett slugged me in the shoulder. "Little brother's finally gettin' some! When's the big day?"

"Of course not," Irina grinned at Alice, ignoring Emmett. "But we thought you Cullen women might be a bit more inclined toward the bridal shower."

_Bridal shower._ Esme's face was alight with bliss at the thought.

I shoved Emmett off. "She hasn't even accepted the proposal yet."

Rosalie stared sullenly at Tanya. _Of course she would have to upstage MY wedding._

"No one is throwing any party!" I snapped, trying to dampen my family's dizzyingly excited thoughts.

"Yet," Esme said firmly. "Not _yet _. But if Alice can be prepared, so can we."

For eighty years, that tone of voice had been law, and I gave up on Esme, turning to plead with Alice instead. "You know how she hates to be in the spot-light."

Alice glared at me briefly, then grinned at an image of Bella at a bachelorette party in a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Were they on an actual beach in that vision? "If we make it casual – no strippers, Irina – she'll enjoy it."

"Strippers?" Esme eyed Irina, a slight frown on her lips.

Carlisle put a fatherly hand on my shoulder. _Edward, this is simply the way weddings are. It's not about what you want, and half the time, it's not about what the bride wants, either. If you just remember that, the whole experience will be much more pleasant. _To the others, he said, "I think, ladies, that this is a discussion best left for another time."

"But – "

Carlisle cut Irina off. "Until there's a ring on her finger, at least."

"But we might not have enough _time_," Alice protested.

Carlisle chuckled softly. "I have full confidence in your abilities, Alice."

"If you need to special-order anything, though," Esme cut in, "go right ahead."

Carlisle glanced sharply at Esme who gave him a sheepish smile and shrugged. With a grin, Carlisle shook his head indulgently. "Very well, love. I'll let _you_ keep the females in check."

"Good luck," Emmett muttered.

Kate playfully smacked him up the back of the head, then skipped over to Alice. "So Esme said you've already made some preparations?"

"Just the dress." Alice brightened again. "Come see!"

Tanya and Irina raced Alice and Kate up the stairs.

It suddenly occurred to me that half of Tanya's coven was missing. "Where are Eleazar and Carmen?"

Emmett, realizing the show was over, lumbered off to pack up the poker game.

"Over at the airstrip." Carlisle relaxed, putting his hands in his pockets. "It's almost dawn and I actually expected them to call before now. They're fueling the plane and getting it ready to leave."

"Good," I snarled darkly.

He grimaced. _Yes, it is. We can't have Chief Swan catching sight of the Denali girls in town._

Laughing, Esme hugged me tightly. "We're just happy for you, Edward. Be patient with us."

I returned her hug with a grudging smile. She was as good as Jasper at dispelling my black moods. "I'll do my best."

"HEY!" Emmett roared through the living room and up the stairs. "Who stole the poker chips?"


End file.
